Bricks and Mortar wins Muniz Memorial in a photo finish

With multiple horses cross-entered in Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Muniz Memorial Handicap with other Fair Grounds stakes, can you blame connections for scratching the field down to six?

The Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) winner Bricks and Mortar measured up as an imposing favorite — though he didn’t quite run as is expected of a 1-5 shot.

Under Irad Ortiz Jr., the 5-year-old trained by Chad Brown nabbed pace-setting Markitoff with the bob of a head at the wire, nearly getting upset while competing about 1 1/8 miles on the lawn in 1:50.44.

Markitoff got away with some dawdling fractions, going an opening quarter in 24.82 seconds before a half mile in 51.07.

"He needs to have a target," Ortiz Jr. said, explaining why as his mount wanted to go the first time by, the Eclipse Award-winning jockey held him back. "We don't want to go to the lead.

"...I know we were walking, but I could ask him to go whenever I wanted. I was in a good position."

Campaigned by Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence, Bricks and Mortar ran outside of Mike Maker-trained Markitoff to earn his seventh win from nine career starts.

Synchrony, who entered unbeaten over the Fair Grounds lawn, ran third with Divisidero fourth.

For this division, Churchill Downs' Old Forester Turf Classic (G1) on Kentucky Derby day sets up next.